Hey guys!
I hope everyone is doing okay! I hope you all had a great 4th of July if you're American, if not I hope you had a great weekend anyway!
Sorry for any grammar and editing mistakes! I'm pretty darn tired so I'm sure there's a bunch of mistakes, sorry!
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Enjoy!
-&-
Chapter 24
After a lot of careful consideration and back and forth genuine mind-fucking, I decided not to ask Adriel to leave Deshua.
The man did almost everything for me, and despite what he said, I knew this was the one job offer he had been really excited about. Not to mention that he loved this house. When the Markos found out their great aunt had willed it to them, his face had lit up in genuine excitement. I couldn't ask him to leave just because I was losing my shit.
But that didn't mean I was going to let us live there all willy-nilly.
I pulled myself out of that depressed little state and spent the rest of week completely decking out the manor in Yarrow. I went to every single store in Deshua that sells the stuff and bought out all of their supplies—which might sound like a lot but really wasn't.
There were only four stores in the entire area that carried the plant, and just packaged seeds of the stuff too. I had to go back to that alcove at school and cut a bunch of the weed-like-flower from the walls for the actual thing.
I hung the plant all over the house. I pinned them above the doorways, wrapped them around the railing of the stairs and even entwined them through window curtains. I spent nearly two days digging out the overgrown weeds from the flowerbeds surrounding the house and replaced them with Yarrow. By the time I was done with the manor, it looked like a living flower advertisement.
After a whole week of just watching me throw the weedy flower around, Adriel finally said something when I was elbow deep in dirty outside. "Lark... what exactly are you doing?" He was standing halfway down the stone steps that lead to the front door, his strong arms crossed over his flannel and black t-shirt covered chest.
"What does it look like?" I snapped and stuck the little tiny gardening shoveling into the soil to make a hole for the seeds. "I'm gardening." My nose was so itchy! But my hands were covered in dirt and I couldn't scratch it. Ugh.
"Okay, but why? You don't like dirt."
"I like flowers."
"Yeah, I've seen the weeds all over the house."
I narrowed my eyes at the infuriating man. "They're not weeds."
He raised one dark eyebrow and leaned heavily against the stone wall surrounding the steps. "They look like weeds."
"Yeah, well, you just don't know anything about plants."
"And you do?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. I love them." I yapped with fake glee as I plopped the seeds in the hole and started piling soil on top of them.
"Right. Since when?"
"Since when do I need to have a 'when'? I like flowers, these to be specific. Why are you being an ass about it?" I knew I was being way too defensive, and a little harsh, but he wouldn't drop the damn subject. Why the fuck was he turning it into an investigation anyway? Just let me plant the damn things!
He raised both eyebrows at my tone and held his hands up in surrender. "Sheesh, sorry." He drawled sarcastically and stepped away. "I'll just leave you alone then."
I felt bad when he turned and walked back into the house. I didn't mean to be such a bitch, especially to him, but I didn't need him snooping around the Yarrow. And it's not like I could tell him they were going to keep us, and the house, safe from red-eyed freaks who wanted to eat them and force me to wake up demon greedy guy. He would send me to the loony bin.
"Hey, Larkin?" Raffie's questioning voice pipped up from the same spot her brother had fled a few minutes later.
"What's up, kid? I'm a little busy right now." I only had half of the front facing flowerbeds planted. I needed to get the whole side and back of the house done too.
"I really want to go to town square today. Can you take me?"
"Ask your brother, I have to get this done."
I looked over when she stomped her foot, huffed dramatically and crossed her little arms over her chest. "He says he has to go into work in a little bit and I want to goooo!" I raised my eyebrow as she stomped her foot again.
"You know I do not do temper tantrums, Rafael."
"Then take me to the square."
"First of all," I started pointedly while wiping the dirt from my hands on my pants. "That is so not how you ask." Her little angry face fell away as I stood to my feet and tossed the tiny shovel into the ground. "And secondly, it's Saturday. Why is Adriel going into work?"
Raf shrugged and started playing oh-so-innocently with the hem of her skirt. Sneaky, manipulative little child. God, I loved that kid. "I don't know, he didn't say. But will you pretty, please take me to town square?" She blinked those big, blue, doe eyes up at me as I walked over, like she wasn't just a little turd barely five seconds before.
I sighed and glared down at the soil stuck underneath my nails. Ugh, that was going to take a lot of scrubbing to get out. "I really need to finish planting—"
"Please, Larkin? You've been doing that all morning, and I want to go have some fun!"
"What possible fun is there in town square?" I groaned and rolled my eyes skyward. My last big experience in the square was nowhere near 'fun'. Unless you called being chased by four freaks with red eyes 'fun'.
"There's shops, and toys, and ice cream! And pigeons!"
"Pigeons carry diseases."
"They're cute!"
"You're not touching one."
For a minute I thought she was going to stomp her foot again and start screaming, but she just clasped her hands in front of her face and pouted at me. "Please, please, please Larkin? I haven't done anything fun in, like, two weeks. And I'm tired of being stuck in the house."
"You go to school." At this point I was just having fun messing with the kid.
"That's not the same, and you know it! School sucks, let's go buy stuff and ice cream!"
Sugar, sugar, sugar. That's all the kid cares about.
I looked wearily back at the flowerbeds. I really didn't want to leave until I was finished Yarrow-fying the manor, but I had been going out at all week. A break for an hour or two wouldn't hurt anyone.
"Alright kid." I finally relented after those puppy dog eyes started tearing up. "Just give me a little bit to wash up and change—"
"Yay! Great! I'll go tell Adriel!" Raf turned on her heels excitedly and took off for the entrance of the manor.
"And tell him I want to talk to him!" I called after her, even though I wasn't sure if she heard. The girl was fast.
He didn't mention anything about having to work today, even though looking back at it I never really gave him a chance. I've been so busy with the flowers and stressing out about protecting us that I haven't really had a legit conversation with either of them in days. And I snapped at him earlier. He probably wasn't happy about that.
I followed slowly after Raf with my gardening tools forgotten in the soil. I would just finish when we got back. I seriously wasn't planning on being gone for too long. Somehow, I was going to have to shove Yarrow in Raf's pockets without her knowing. I'll make her wear a hoodie and shove them in the hood or something.
I wasn't sure where they disappeared to, but I took their absence as free reign to take as long as I wanted in the shower. I made sure to scrub the dirt out from my nails and off my skin. I was so off in my own little world that I hadn't even notice the bathroom door open.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"Eek!" I practically squeaked and whipped around so fast in surprise that I almost slipped on the wet floor of the shower. "Adriel! You scared the shit out of me!"
"Sorry." I couldn't see him through the purple shower curtain, but his dark chuckle let me know he wasn't sorry at all.
I rubbed the spot over my heart that was beating a little too fast to be normal. "Ever heard of knocking?"
"Didn't think I needed to."
"You always need to!"
He laughed again, but this time it sounded much more genuine and Adriel-like. "Okay, I promise to always knock from now on."
"Whatever." I grumbled and leaned my head back to rinse the conditioner from my hair. "Raf says you have to work today?"
He let out a long, drawn out sigh and I watched his shadow move behind the shower curtain. "Yeah." He grumbled before sitting down on the closed toilet seat. "Some paperwork got fucked up and they need me to go in and fix it."
"Sucks being the boss."
I tried to keep my tone light and worry free, but I honestly didn't want him out of my sight anymore. Not until all this crazy stuff was over. It's not like I could actually protect him from red-eyed monsters who liked to eat people, but at least I could shove a bunch of Yarrow in the side pockets of his lunch and toolbox. Maybe I could even find a way of shoving it in his boots somehow.
"Mhm. Definitely not how I wanted to spend my Saturday."
"How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know, maybe three or four hours?" He didn't sound so sure and I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling settling in my stomach.
"Oh, okay..."
There was a rather awkward moment of silence between us before he spoke again. "This whole 'plant' business isn't about what's going on lately, is it?" He said the word 'plant' as sarcastically as I say the phrase 'my life is completely normal'.
I sighed and let the hot water wash over my face. "Who cares if it is, Dri? It makes me feel better. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong with that, and I'm sorry I made it seem that way. I'm just..." He paused, and I could tell he wasn't thrilled with what he was going to say next. "I'm just not so convinced staying here is best for us anymore."
I didn't say anything as I reached over and turned the water off. I knew he was willing to leave if that was what I wanted, but I never thought that he would be the one that was starting to doubt the place.
"What do you mean?" I asked quietly as he stood to hand me a fluffy towel through the edge of the shower curtain. I wrapped it tightly around my body and pushed the curtain open. Dri was leaning almost lazily against the wall in front of me, the steam from the shower still filling the small hallway bathroom.
He shrugged, and that dark gaze flickered away. "You're not okay here, and the last thing I ever wanted to do was upset you."
"Dri, I'm fine, I promise." Or at least, I would make myself be if only to erase the guilty sad expression from his handsome face. "We don't have to move just because I'm having issues. It'll be okay—" He cut me off by scooping his strong arms around my waist and lifting me easily out of the shower.
I didn't fight him as he hugged me against his chest, those blue eyes finally locking onto mine. "It's not just for you, Lark. This move just isn't turning out like I hoped it would. The job's not what I thought it was, Raff's not really making any friends, and I'm starting to feel like Deshua is not for us."
Despite what he said, I had a sickening feeling he was just thinking of moving for me.
"We can go back to the city or try somewhere new. Whatever you want."
There he was, giving me everything I wanted since the second week we moved here. An out. An opportunity to leave this place and never look back. Never have to worry about red eyes again, or greedy demon guys, or reincarnation. Just him, me, and Raffie, moving somewhere new, where no one knew us. Starting over, being a normal family. It was everything I wanted.
So, why was I hesitating?
"Can I think about it?" I asked softly as he leaned his forehead against mine in that simple but endearing way he always did.
"Of course." He pressed his lips against my forehead, and then the tip of my nose. "I meant what I said, Angel. You mean everything to me. You and Raffie. I'll do anything to make sure you're okay."
I let out a small sigh before standing on my tip toes to press a soft, lingering kiss against his lips. "I know, Dri." That was the first time I had to physically stop myself from saying 'I love you'. I mean, I've said it before in a family context. Like, I love them because they're everything I have in this world, but that was the first time it would mean something else.
Because I did love him. In all his crazy, pig-headed, jerkish, sweet, caring way, I loved him. More than anything.
-&-
Hope you guys enjoyed!
I'm sorry it's a lot shorter than usual, but I couldn't split the next chapter in anyway that would make sense!
Hold onto your heads guys because shit's about to get REAL! hehe mwhahahaha.